Oscar Nominations 2022 – The Surprises, The Not-So Surprising and The Meh

Image Courtesy Google Images

The nominees for this year’s Academy Awards were officially announced this week (see the full list here). And overall, it turned out much like many expected, with a few notable exceptions. Oh btw, if you’re feeling a bit like this award season has seemed all but nonexistent, it’s not just you.

Typically, by this point of the year, the Golden Globes, with all its fun and excitement, would have already taken place. And many, in the last decades have of course, considered the Globes the official start of Awards Season. Well, the Globes did happen last month. However, as the adage goes, “if a tree falls in the forest and no one hears it, does it make a sound?”

Despite’s NBC’s announcement last year that it would not air the ceremony and a string of controversy surrounding the organization, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) stubbornly decided to hand out awards anyway. Even if it meant doing so during an untelevised and unattended ceremony.

So here we are – Oscar nominations announced, yet it still feels like we, or well I am, are still waiting for Award Season to kick into high gear. A great place to start, I guess, is to break down this week’s announcement. Keep reading for my overall impressions of this year’s Oscar nominees.

• The Unsurprising – As expected, The Power of the Dog had a strong showing, leading all other films with a total of 12 nominations. Other unsurprising strong showings were Dune, with ten nominations, Belfast with seven nominations, and King Richard with six nominations.

• The Surprises – It appears that the members of the Academy were not feeling the love for House of Gucci. Not even Lady Gaga, who many considered a sure thing for the Best Actress category, received a nomination. However, to many surprise, who did receive a Lead Actress nomination, was Kristen Stewart for her role in the critically divisive Spencer. After missing out on a Screen Actors’ Guild (SAG) and BAFTA Awards nomination, many predicted that Stewart’s chances had fizzled. I wasn’t so sure. For whatever reason, call it a gut feeling, I knew she’d be nominated. No comment on what I think about her acting in general – the less said on that, the better.

• The “I Didn’t See This Coming” – Contrary to popular opinion, most of this year’s snubs weren’t that surprising to me. However, there were a few names announced that were a surprise. Most notably, J.K. Simmons for Being the Ricardos and maybe even Javier Bardem, as well. But Simmons was the bigger surprise, as he’s not shown up for any of the big precursor awards. That said, J.K. Simmons is a previous winner, as is Bardem. And the Academy does sometimes tend to lean toward previous winners. I would also throw in Denis Villeneuve’s losing out on a Best Director nod, only because it’s clear the voters loved Dune.

• The Meh – FYI, these nominees are meh to me. I accept that some may feel differently. Full disclosure, I’m not a fan of classic remakes, unless it adds something fresh and distinctive. For example, yes, A Star is Born was the fourth version of that film. But each film had unique characters and backstories of said characters. All this to say that I was underwhelmed by West Side Story and found its nominations for Best Picture and Best Director unnecessary. Frankly, I think Villeneuve would have been a more appealing addition to the category than Steven Spielberg. And just to be clear, I wholeheartedly acknowledge Spielberg’s brilliance as a director. However, I do not believe this remake of West Side Story, lovely as it was, added much to the greater filmmaking zeitgeist.

So who will win? Eh, who knows? As is often the case, the precursors will tell the tale. Having only the various critics’ awards to go on, and maybe the Globes, it’s looking like Netflix may finally nab the Best Picture crown with The Power of the Dog. But don’t sleep on Drive My Car, the surprise international film entry for both Best Director and Best Picture. We all saw what happened with Parasite a few years ago.

Design of a Decade – 10 Biggest Pop Culture Trends/Moments of the 2010s (Part 1)

The 21^st Century is officially no longer a teenager. And unless you were born in 2000, right about this time, you’re probably starting to feel a little (or in some cases a lot) old. Trust me, I get it. But existential crises about getting older aside, the past decade was a pretty fascinating one for the world of pop culture.

We saw streaming services take over the world, female artists from Beyonce to Adele to Taylor Swift, dominate the musical space, the LGBTQI community had more representation than ever before, reboot was the name of the game (for a while at least. Thankfully that might be changing), two Princes officially grew up and a wave of feminist activism took over Hollywood.

Without further ado, here are some of the biggest pop culture moments and trends of the 2010s. And it should go without saying that this is obviously by no means a comprehensive list. Because as always, I’m sure there are a number of other events, individuals, etc. that one could name-check.

However, in terms of cultural impact and mainstream attention, these were some of the biggest in my opinion. And because this understandably got a little long, I’ve decided to break the article up into two separate blog posts. Here are the first five of my top ten pop culture moments/trends of the 2010s.

1. Streaming Takes Over Music, Television (And Well the World at This Point) – RIP Blockbuster. The end officially came in 2013, but let’s face it, the once video store giant had pretty much been on life support for a few years by that point, thanks to a little streaming service called Netflix. The rise of Netflix and the fall of Blockbuster was only a snippet of things to come. Streaming services soon took over all of our lives and changed the way we watched movies, television shows and listened to music. Apple’s recent decision to end iTunes and switch only to its streaming platform Apple Music cemented the cultural shift in how we consume entertainment today. As we head into the 2020s, entertainment streaming shows no sign of slowing down. Not with the plethora of streaming services now available.

 

2. Everything Old is New Again – As the saying goes; the more things change, the more things seem to stay the same. Because while streaming was taking over entertainment and pop culture, an odd trend was also taking off, i.e. the reboot/revival. The 2010s saw a number of long canceled television shows and movies of the past either remade and/or brought back for a second life. It’s hard to say what specifically sparked this trend, what one moment or specific show that lit the fuse but suffice to say, for a time, it seemed like the mantra of the 2010s was what was old is now new again. That said, there are some signs that the trend may be waning – the Murphy Brown reboot died as quickly as it came, Will & Grace is on its way out (again) and Fuller House is wrapping up its run on Netflix. If you read my previous blog post on the topic, you’d know that unsurprisingly, I can’t say I’ll be too upset if this trend remains in the 2010s. Although just I wrote and posted this blog, I found out that a Mad About You reboot has been officially greenlit. Yea…

 

3. The Meteoric Rise, Fall and Comeback of Lady Gaga – 2010 was the year Lady Gaga gave us the Meat Dress. Although her rise truly began in 2008, when The Fame was officially released, it was the start of the 2010s that saw this fame exulted into something almost otherworldly. The cult of Gaga was at its peak at the start of the decade and the subsequent release of Born This Way in 2011, would further cement this, giving her the biggest first-week sales of her career. However, it was not too long after that the cracks began to show. Many of the album’s subsequent singles surprisingly stalled on the charts. And then came Artpop, where things quickly took a nosedive. The album got mixed reviews, the first single Applause died as quickly as it rose and the first week sales for the album was a mere 258,000 copies, a significant decline from the first week’s numbers for Born This Way. The snark and whispers of “flash in the pan” began and meanwhile, some of Gaga’s behavior became increasingly erratic. However, by late 2017, things began to take a positive turn, starting with a Golden Globe-winning performance on American Horror Story, followed by a well-lauded Superbowl Halftime show performance. However, it was this past year that saw the complete return of Gaga to the top of the pop culture conversation, with her Oscar-nominated performance in A Star is Born. The film garnered her mass critical acclaim and numerous awards for the song Shallow. All eyes are back on her and many are waiting to see what version of Lady Gaga we will meet in the 2020s.

 

4. Two Princes Grow Up – Whether or not you were old enough to have seen it live, chances are you’ve probably seen the images of two young boys, 15 and 12, somberly walking in a procession, following the casket holding their mother’s body. This was one of the most indelible images of the 1990s. Those two young boys eventually grew up and the 2010s saw them fully come into their own as adults, both settling down into marriage and fatherhood. I have previously stated my mixed feelings regarding the whole idea of Royalty. That in reality, I’m not exactly in love with the idea of a monarchy still existing in the 21^st Century. Especially one that we are all well aware of is rooted deeply in classicism and the ugly history of colonialism. That said, on a pure entertainment and pop culture level, it’s hard to ignore the global interest and impact there was when first Prince William married Kate Middleton in 2011 and early last year, when Prince Harry married Meghan Markle. On both occasions, much of the world stopped and for a moment seemingly just appreciated the beauty and hope that most weddings seem to hold. I’d still not be particularly upset if the monarchy goes away in the next decade. Just saying…

 

5. 21 and 25 Never Sounded so Good – “Hello, it’s me”. And with these three words, Adele was back, with her follow-up to her global smash hit album, 21. When the 2010s started, Adele was a critically acclaimed singer/songwriter, with a core niche of fans. Hardcore music fans knew who she was, especially as she’d previously won the Grammy for Best New Artist. But she was hardly blowing up airwaves and her name wasn’t one that just rolled off the average individual’s tongue. That was until 2011 when a little album titled 21 was released. And then everyone knew Adele’s name. 21 would go on to become one of the biggest selling albums of all time, selling a whopping 10 million copies in the U.S. alone. By the time 25 was released, music lovers everywhere had been waiting with bated breath for whatever magic Adele would produce next. And Ms. Adkins did not disappoint. 25 went on to sell a whopping 3.3 million copies in its first week, smashing the previous record for first-week sales, which had been held by *NSync. At the close of the decade, Adele is currently the only artist, male or female, to win the Big Three Trifecta at the Grammy Awards – Album of the Year, Record of the Year and Song of the Year – twice. Speaking for myself, I cannot wait to see what Adele will bring for the 2020s.

 

MET Gala 2019 Ten Best Dressed

Ah, it was that time of year again. Where celebrities from all walks of art, together with New York high society, pull out their most outrageous, bold and daring looks. Yes, it was time for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s annual fundraiser gala, i.e. the MET Ball. And this year’s theme of Camp all but demanded that the looks be nothing but daring and outrageous.

So before I unveil my top ten fashion moments from this year’s Gala, it seems only appropriate to address the obvious question – what is Camp? It’s a term that’s been bandied around the fashion world for decades, some see it as ubiquitous to the world of drag queens, and for many, it is a term that is synonymous with the work of John Waters.

Urban Dictionary defines Camp as “something that provides sophisticated, knowing amusement, as by virtue of its being artlessly mannered or stylized, self-consciously artificial and extravagant, or teasingly ingenuous and sentimental”.

For a more apt definition, as this year’s MET Gala theme was pulled from the 1964 essay Notes on Camp by Susan Sontag (a really great read by the way), the author summed up the term as follows, “Camp is a certain mode of aestheticism. It is one way of seeing the world as an aesthetic phenomenon. That way, the way of Camp is not in terms of beauty, but in terms of the degree of artifice, of stylization”.

So what then does this all mean? Well personally, I define Camp as embracing the wild and outrageous inner you via a fashionable look that’s both playful but stylistically amazing.

In other words, I want something daring and outrageous that’s still structured, well designed and of high quality. So with that said, without further ado, here are my top ten looks from this year’s MET Gala.

Lady Gaga in Brandon Maxwell – I mean, let’s face it, Lady Gaga practically embodies Camp. She’s made a career out of Camp. So naturally, all eyes were on her, especially considering she was one of the co-chairs of this year’s Gala. And she didn’t disappoint with this outrageous number that morphed into four different looks as she walked along the red carpet.

Billy Porter in The Blonds – That’s how you make an entrance ladies and gentlemen. Billy Porter did not come to play. Dramatic, over the top, bold – just perfect.

Cardi B. in Thom Browne – This was simply stunning. Gorgeous color, designed beautifully with the right amount of drama and beauty and Cardi worked it.

Gigi Hadid in Michael Kors – Certainly not as wild as many of the outfits on this list but what I love about this look is the sleekness and structure of it. This was a really well put together look and Gigi wore it very well.

Laverne Cox in Christian Siriano – First off, I can’t be the only one surprised that this was Laverne’s first MET Gala. Especially considering how huge Orange is The New Black was a few years ago, coupled with Laverne’s groundbreaking TIME Magazine cover. That said, she certainly made up for lost time with this stunner. This just screamed drama, diva and gothic beauty all rolled into one.

Ezra Miller in Burberry – Ezra, like Billy Porter, is one of the few male celebrities, who are not afraid to go full throttle with his fashion aesthetic. This was fascinating, beautiful, creepy, and weird and amazing all rolled into one.

Michael Urie in Christian Siriano – Well you can’t do Camp without at least one androgynous look that mixes the masculine and feminine. At least I think so. And Michael Urie apparently agrees with me, nailing this duality look.

Janelle Monae in Christian Siriano – Um, she had a giant eyelash that kept blinking at us on her outfit? Do I really need to say anymore?

Celine Dion in Oscar de la Renta – It’s nice to see Celine Dion back out there living her life and looking like she’s having a ball doing so, since the passing of her husband Rene. Like Gigi Hadid’s look, this one was a bit more on the conservative side of things but I loved it for just how well put together it was. And that headpiece was everything.

Jordan Roth in Iris van Herpen – I am just so impressed by how many men truly stepped it up this year and just went for it with their choices. I love the detailing on this, giving opera theater meets the rising Pheonix.

Images courtesy Google Images 

Top Ten Moments of 2019 Academy Awards

As I began to write this article, which as I’m sure you’ve noticed from my other award show recaps, typically follow a Best and Worst format, something strange happened. I realized that I actually didn’t really have many “Worst” moments from this year’s Academy Awards.

In fact, I really had none. Yes, even with Green Book winning Best Picture (will get to that in a moment) and I could have done without that Jennifer Hudson performance. But overall, I found this year’s ceremony very engaging, well-paced and all around pretty enjoyable. It probably helps that who I was rooting for, won (again, will get to that in a moment).

So in a break from tradition, I’ve decided this year to not do a Best and Worst and instead just list my Top Ten moments of the night. For the record, these were not necessarily all moments I loved or was thrilled about but more the ones that stood out the most to me.

1. No Host…No Problem – This may be an unpopular opinion but I’ve never been particularly enamored with award show hosts. Truthfully I watch award shows for the performances, as in the case of The Grammys and really to see who wins the big categories and hear their speeches. I’ve never felt that the hosts really add anything to the show. Majority of the time, outside of their opening monologues, they tend to just fade away as the night goes on. So personally, I was fine with this year’s show not having a host and in the end, it turned out not to matter at all. The show moved seamlessly, there were no awkward bits to drag the ceremony down and honestly, in the end, it just didn’t affect the ceremony at all. I’m most definitely #TeamNoHost.

 

2. Rami Malek is the Champion – I’ll be honest, this was the only category I truly had a vested interest in. As I’ve said before, if anyone has been reading this blog from the beginning, then you know how much I adore Rami Malek since discovering him on Mr. Robot. Following this Award Season and seeing him get this type of validation has been the highlight for me. Not least of all because he, in my opinion, absolutely deserved it. And points for a pitch-perfect speech – it was emotional, heartfelt and touching in many ways. For those with issues about what he should have said and addressed, etc. I say get over yourselves. This moment was about this man’s hard work and a chance for him to celebrate and thank the people in his life who have supported and loved him.

 

3. Queen/Adam Lambert Rocks The Oscars – I’ll say the same thing I did when some grumbled about how “this isn’t the Grammys” when Justin Timberlake opened the Oscars a few years ago with his nominated song – sometimes what this award show need is a little fun and energy. In my opinion, this was a perfect opening in light of the lack of a host, which meant no big dramatic Oscar opening. The film Bohemian Rhapsody was one of the biggest films of the year commercially and was nominated for five awards that night, making the performance an appropriate fit. Performance wise it wasn’t perfect, as I do think Adam Lambert has a tendency to go for too much on these big stages (we all remember THAT American Music Awards performance), but it was, for the most part, a rocking good time. And I’ll admit that yes, I got a little choked up when Freddie Mercury’s image came on the screen.

 

4. Best Actress Upset – This was one of those “man I wish it had been a tie” moments for me. On the one hand, I was thrilled for Olivia Colman who is an absolutely brilliant actress. And as a viewer, I appreciated the surprise element of her win, as the acting categories to that point had gone fairly predictably. But as thrilled as I was for Olivia, I felt my heart drop for Glenn Close. So many nominations, so many losses and it felt like this was finally, finally her moment. And we all know she believed it as well. I mean come on, you don’t wear THAT dress unless you believe you’re heading up on that stage to accept an award. And to come so close and not have it happen had to be gut-wrenching. This one is definitely going to go down in the Oscar history books as one of those huge upsets/surprise moments.

 

5. Academy Finally Does the Right Thing By Spike Lee – It’s been a long time coming and admittedly it’s probably still not the award Spike truly wants and has deserved but on Sunday night, the acclaimed filmmaker finally won a competitive Oscar (he was previously awarded an Honorary Oscar for his Contribution to Cinema). And in true Spike Lee fashion, he used the moment to make a political and socially driven statement.

 

6. Diversity Was Present Throughout the Night – Yes, I’m aware that that’s not technically a moment but semantics aside, one of the highlights of this year’s ceremony was seeing the many individuals of color awarded throughout the night, including three out of the four acting awards. Two of the biggest moments, of course, were the simultaneous wins of Ruth Carter for Best Costume Design and Hannah Beachler for Best Production Design, both for the film Black Panther. Both wins were historic, as a woman of color had never previously won in either category.

 

7. Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga Steam up the Ceremony – I’ll be honest, I wasn’t exactly swooning like millions of others watching. However, I did enjoy the performance for what it was and it was most definitely a standout moment of the night. More importantly, I have to give major props to Bradley Cooper for having the guts to perform the song live. Let’s not forget that this man is not a professional singer and he could have bailed out like Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling did two years ago when City of Stars from La La Land was nominated for Original Song. But Cooper sucked it up and gave it his all. No, it certainly was by no means perfect but it didn’t have to be when he and Gaga were so good at selling it.

 

8. Three in One Night for Alfonso Cuaron – Serious question but how much do you think some of the people in that room on Sunday night hated that guy? Many of these individuals have fought for years just to win one Oscar. Hell poor Glenn Close is still Oscar-less and here comes Alfonso Cuaron, winning three in one night. The worse part though, he deserved every single one of them. I do wonder if his next film he’s going to direct, write, produce and star in it as well. At this point, why not? And I wouldn’t bet against him.

 

9. Presenter Bits – Yes, once again, I’m aware that it’s not a singular moment but whatever. A key factor in the show moving so smoothly for me is the various presenter banter and bits that for the most part, all worked very well. Award show banter 9 out of 10 times can be incredibly cringe-worthy but oddly, most of it worked this past Sunday night. From three of the Queens of comedy, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, and Maya Rudolph, nailing it in the first ten minutes of the show, to Melissa McCarthy and Brian Tyree Henry’s hilarious presentation of Best Costume Design, and Trevor Noah’s savagely brilliant presentation of Black Panther, the presenters were all for the most part funny, engaging and entertaining.

 

10. Green Book Wins Best Picture – Big sigh. Okay, so we all know this one has caused quite the reaction in the online world and the Twitter-verse and blogosphere were all blowing up with outrage, think pieces, etc. And that’s actually why it’s a top moment because it’s certainly the moment that has garnered the most reaction and post-show discussion. Well, it and that performance of Shallow. I’m not going to say whether I agreed or disagreed with this win. I will say I predicted it for two key reasons – one, Green Book won the Producer’s Guild of America award for Best Picture and PGA is almost always a good predictor of which film will win Best Picture at the Academy Awards. Two, as much as some fervently hoped for a Roma win, I knew it wouldn’t happen because I just didn’t believe the Academy is at the place, where they were ready to award a film distributed by Netflix, Best Picture. Maybe they will be in the next five years but not right now.

Of course, it would be remiss of me to not discuss fashion at all in a post about the Academy Awards. I can’t say I was particularly blown away by many of the looks but there were a few standouts.

Billy Porter in Christian Siriano 

I mean, need I say more? This was fashion boldness and fearlessness at its best, while still looking impeccably tailored and appropriate.

Lady Gaga in Alexander McQueen

HOLLYWOOD, CA – FEBRUARY 24: Lady Gaga attends the 91st Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood and Highland on February 24, 2019 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Dan MacMedan/Getty Images)

Best Original Song winner for “Shallow” from “A Star is Born” Lady Gaga attends the 2019 Vanity Fair Oscar Party following the 91st Academy Awards at The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills on February 24, 2019. (Photo by Jean-Baptiste LACROIX / AFP) (Photo credit should read JEAN-BAPTISTE LACROIX/AFP/Getty Images)

I was definitely more in love with the second look, as the cone-shaped hips of the first look was a bit too severe for me. But this was perfect old Hollywood glam/belle of the ball. The kind of look you wear when you’re going to the Oscars and likely will win one that night.

Regina King in Oscar de la Renta

There was a little potential for a wardrobe malfunction but thankfully she held it together. I might have loved a different color shoe to make the whole look really pop but in all, I found this to be a very soft and delicate look for her.

Kiki Layne in Atelier Versace

Yes, the giant bow might have been a little overly dramatic but I feel like it works, in the sense that without it, this would just be a plain and simple pretty pink dress. And you don’t want to do plain and simple for the freaking Academy Awards. The bow gives the dress the right amount of drama and star power.

Gemma Chan in Valentino

So this one was pretty divisive and I get it. When I first saw it, I absolutely hated it. But as the night wore on, slowly I grew to like it a little more and more to where I now truly love this look. I think it has a whimsical and ethereal charm about it. Granted, only a model like Gemma Chan could probably pull this off but it’s definitely a look I thought truly stood out on the red carpet.

SAG Awards 2019 Predictions

By this point last year, the acting awards for motion pictures were all but sewn up. Most had pretty much accepted that Frances McDormand, Gary Oldman, Sam Rockwell, and Alison Janney were going to sweep the Awards season (and they did). That is not the case this year and that makes Sunday night’s SAG Awards particularly interesting.

Things don’t seem as up in the air for the television categories, however. Here are my predictions for what I think might happen this Sunday. As always, what I think will happen doesn’t always align with what I actually want to happen.

MOVIES

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture

• A Star is Born
• Black Panther
• BlacKkKlansman
• Bohemian Rhapsody
• Crazy Rich Asians

The surprise for me in this category is that Vice did not receive a nomination as the consensus seems to be that while the movie itself was a bit uneven, the performances were all stellar across the board. The same can also be said for The Favourite also not being included, considering three of the film’s leads have gotten acting nominations.

That said, in terms of who I think might win, I’ll say as this is the award for actors honoring other actors, voters may lean toward Bradley Cooper’s triple turn as actor, director, writer, and award this one to A Star is Born. A possible upset could come from Black Panther, for what it represented in films this year in terms of cultural relevance. Would be interesting if Bohemian Rhapsody pulls off another “upset”.

Will Win – A Star is Born

Could Win – Black Panther

 

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role

• Christian Bale – Vice
• Bradley Cooper – A Star is Born
• Rami Malek – Bohemian Rhapsody
• Viggo Mortensen – Green Book
• John David Washington – BlacKkKlansman

In my opinion, at the moment, this is a two-man race between Bale and Malek. It’s hard to bet against Christian Bale, who always delivers a full-throttle performance with whatever role he tackles. His physical transformation was even more dramatic than Malek’s and we know how much voters love a dramatic onscreen physical transformation. My money’s on Bale though my heart hopes I’m wrong.

Will Win – Christian Bale

Could Win – Rami Malek

 

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role

• Emily Blunt – Mary Poppins Returns
• Glenn Close – The Wife
• Olivia Colman – The Favourite
• Lady Gaga – A Star is Born
• Melissa McCarthy – Can You Ever Forgive Me?

Can I be honest here? I really don’t understand why or how Lady Gaga is considered a favorite in this category. In my opinion, all the other nominees gave better performances. Don’t get me wrong, she was good. She held her own. But best performance, no. That said, as I noted above, considering this is about actors honoring other actors, look to see legendary actress Glenn Close take this one. I can maybe see an upset by Olivia Colman but I think this is Glenn’s to lose.

Will Win – Glenn Close

Could Win – Olivia Colman

 

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role

• Mahershala Ali – Green Book
• Timothee Chalamet – Beautiful Boy
• Adam Driver – BlacKkKlansman
• Sam Elliot – A Star is Born
• Richard E. Grant – Can You Ever Forgive Me?

This may be the one acting category that is all but sewn up, with Mahershala Ali looking on the path to secure his second Academy Award in less than five years. That said, if there is any potential for an upset, Richard E. Grant has been a critical favorite throughout the season and like Glenn Close, is a veteran actor who has been toiling in the business for years. Fellow actors can certainly relate to that.

Will Win – Mahershala Ali

Could Win – Richard E. Grant

 

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role

• Amy Adams – Vice
• Emily Blunt – A Quiet Place
• Margot Robbie – Mary Queen of Scots
• Emma Stone – The Favourite
• Rachel Weisz – The Favourite

The glaring omission here, of course, is Regina King, considered by many to be a favorite in this category for the Oscars next month. That said, with no Regina King, I’d say this may likely be a battle between Amy Adams and Rachel Weisz. My money’s on Adams.

Will Win – Amy Adams

Could Win – Rachel Weisz

 

TELEVISION

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries

• Antonio Banderas – Genius: Picasso
• Darren Criss – American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace
• Hugh Grant – A Very English Scandal
• Anthony Hopkins – King Lear
• Bill Pullman – The Sinner

It certainly seems like it will be an Awards sweep for Darren Criss, on the heels of his winning the Globe, backing up his Emmy win late last year. So hard to bet against him here. If there is an upset, it will likely be for Hugh Grant in a film that critics and voters absolutely loved.

Will Win – Darren Criss

Could Win – Hugh Grant

 

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries

• Amy Adams – Sharp Objects
• Patricia Arquette – Escape at Dannemora
• Patricia Clarkson – Sharp Objects
• Penelope Cruz – American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace
• Emma Stone – Maniac

One interesting thing about this category is that because the SAG Awards do not include supporting for the television categories, Adams and Clarkson are competing against each other for the first time with their respective roles in Sharp Objects. A few months ago, one might have said this was a lock for Adams but Patricia Arquette’s win at the Globes disputes that assumption. Call me stubborn, but I still think Adams might take it.

Will Win – Amy Adams

Could Win – Patricia Arquette

 

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series

• Jason Bateman – Ozark
• Sterling K. Brown – This Is Us
• Joseph Fiennes – The Handmaid’s Tale
• John Krasinski – Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan
• Bob Odendirk – Better Call Saul

In my opinion, Matthew Rhys not being nominated in this category for his very deserving performance in The Americans renders this almost moot to me. But if I absolutely had to make a prediction, I’d guess maybe Jason Bateman. I would be surprised if voters awarded Brown back to back wins but I guess anything’s possible. Like I said, not really interested in this category.

Will Win – Jason Bateman

Could Win – Sterling K. Brown

 

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series

• Julia Garner – Ozark
• Laura Linney – Ozark
• Elisabeth Moss – The Handmaid’s Tale
• Sandra Oh – Killing Eve
• Robin Wright – House of Cards

After her big win, definitely seems like this category is Sandra Oh’s to lose. However, just like the Actor in a Drama Series category, I think it’s absolutely ridiculous that Keri Russell was not nominated. That said, it’s certainly not out of the realm of possibility to see Elisabeth Moss take this. Especially as she did not win last year when everyone expected she would, with SAG voters choosing instead to reward Claire Foy for the second year in a row, for her performance on The Crown.

Will Win – Sandra Oh

Could Win – Elisabeth Moss

 

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series

• Alan Arkin – The Kominsky Method
• Michael Douglas – The Kominsky Method
• Bill Hader – Barry
• Tony Shalhoub – The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
• Henry Winkler – Barry

Actors love rewarding legendary actors. And because of this, this may be Michael Douglas’ award to lose. That said, there’s potential for a feel good/nostalgia moment with a win by The Fonz himself, Henry Winkler.

Will Win – Michael Douglas

Could Win – Henry Winkler

 

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series

• Alex Borstein – The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
• Alison Brie – GLOW
• Rachel Brosnahan – The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
• Jane Fonda – Grace and Frankie
• Lily Tomlin – Grace and Frankie

This seems like a lock for Rachel Brosnahan, who has swept all the other major Awards. Plus, SAG voters perennial favorite Julia Louis-Dreyfus is absent from the category for the first time in years, likely making Brosnahan’s win even more of a certainty.

Will Win – Rachel Brosnahan

Could Win – In the event the voters go completely left, maybe Jane Fonda

 

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series

• The Americans
• Better Call Saul
• The Handmaid’s Tale
• Ozark
• This Is Us

So the lead actors are completely shut out from the lead actors’ category but the show gets an ensemble nomination. Okay then. I’m going to throw in some positivity and say this may be the way the voters will finally recognize Keri and Matthew for their years of stellar performances on The Americans. Maybe wishful thinking on my part, but it’s what I’m going with. On the chance that I’m wrong, I don’t see This Is Us pulling off a back to back win so I’m going to say The Handmaid’s Tale may be the big winner.

Will Win – The Americans

Could Win – The Handmaid’s Tale

 

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series

• Atlanta
• Barry
• GLOW
• The Kominsky Method
• The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

If I were a betting woman, I’d say this is The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’s to lose. There is potential for an upset by The Kominsky Method.

Will Win – The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

Could Win – The Kominsky Method

2019 Golden Globes Predictions

One of the biggest parties in Hollywood – i.e. the Golden Globes Awards – takes place this Sunday night. Much of the buzz, heading into this weekend’s big show, is focused on A Star is Born and Lady Gaga’s transformation into “serious actress”.

So is this going to be Gaga’s “Cher in Moonstruck” moment? Many think so. While I certainly would not be surprised to see her pull off the win this Sunday, I’m less convinced that come February, she’ll be holding an Oscar statuette for Best Actress.

But that’s for another time. Here’s what I think will happen vs what I necessarily may want to happen, in some of the biggest categories, at Sunday night’s ceremony.

Best Motion Picture – Drama

• Black Panther
• BlacKkKlansman
• Bohemian Rhapsody
• If Beale Street Could Talk
• A Star is Born

I know what all the experts are saying and it’s entirely possible I’m going to end up with egg on my face (wouldn’t be the first time I called a category completely wrong) but contrary to what many believe, I don’t think A Star is Born is going to win this one. My bold prediction is that the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) is going to reward the film that was one of the most commercially successful and culturally significant of 2018 – Black Panther. Let’s face it, Black Panther is not going to win Best Picture at the Oscars and I’d guess that most know that. This is the perfect show for them to get this win, as the HFPA has always been seen as a bit quirky and out of the box at times with their choices.

Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama

• Glenn Close (The Wife)
• Lady Gaga (A Star Is Born)
• Nicole Kidman (Destroyer)
• Melissa McCarthy (Can You Ever Forgive Me?)
• Rosamund Pike (A Private War)

The HFPA loves Gaga, as evidenced by her win for her performance in American Horror Story. A performance that garnered her no other nominations but at the Golden Globes Awards. So it’s hard to bet against her here. If it turns out the HFPA voters aren’t feeling the A Star is Born love as much as most assume and there is an “upset”, I’m predicting Melissa McCarthy to take this one.

Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama

• Bradley Cooper (A Star is Born)
• Willem Dafoe (At Eternity’s Gate)
• Lucas Hedges (Boy Erased)
• Rami Malek (Bohemian Rhapsody)
• John David Washington (BlacKkKlansman)

Probably one of the most interesting categories of the night. For starters, the actor who has been a critical favorite, sweeping every Critic’s Award handed out late last year, isn’t even nominated here. That would be Ethan Hawke for his performance in First Reformed. And Christian Bale, who is always a formidable force in any acting category, is tucked away in the Comedy/Musical category. The critics all seem unanimous on this being Bradley Cooper’s to lose. And it very likely may be. He was stellar, as usual, in A Star is Born and it’ll be a nice consolation prize for the Best Director category he is sure to lose. But while the head tells me to stick to the obvious, the heart says Rami Malek may pull off the upset for his career-defining performance as Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody.

Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy

• Crazy Rich Asians
• The Favourite
• Green Book
• Mary Poppins Returns
• Vice

I see the argument for Green Book and of course, Vice. But my money’s on The Favourite to take this one. Largely because among those three, it’s the one that can most conventionally be considered a comedy with an excellent sharp and witty script and stellar performances by the entire cast.

Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy

• Emily Blunt (Mary Poppins Returns)
• Olivia Colman (The Favourite)
• Elsie Fisher (Eighth Grade)
• Charlize Theron (Tully)
• Constance Wu (Crazy Rich Asians)

The HFPA voters have shown their clear love for Emily Blunt in the past. So I certainly would not be surprised to see her pull off a win here. That said, my money’s on Colman for The Favourite.

Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy

• Christian Bale (Vice)
• Lin-Manuel Miranda (Mary Poppins Returns)
• Viggo Mortensen (Green Book)
• Robert Redford (The Old Man & The Gun)
• John C. Reilly (Stan & Ollie)

Hard to bet against Christian Bale, especially as we know how much voters love a dramatic transformation on film, like the one Bale delivered here, to portray former U.S. Vice President, Dick Cheney. Viggo Mortensen could sneak in and take it, but I feel like voters will save their Green Book love for Mahershala Ali.

Best Actress in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture

• Amy Adams (Vice)
• Claire Foy (First Man)
• Regina King (If Beale Street Could Talk)
• Emma Stone (The Favourite)
• Rachel Weisz (The Favourite)

The obvious answer here is Regina King for If Beale Street Could Talk, who has been cleaning up with the critics. Plus she’s one of a handful of double nominees this year, proving HFPA voters are definitely very aware of her. Interestingly, this will be one of two categories she and Amy Adams go head to head in. And many think Adams may be the one to spoil the party for King. I don’t. I think Amy’s win will come in a different category on Sunday night. If there is a spoiler to King, it will likely be one of the two women from The Favourite, who, contrary to what many believe, may not end up canceling each other out.

Best Actor in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture

• Mahershala Ali (Green Book)
• Timothee Chalamet (Beautiful Boy)
• Adam Driver (BlacKkKlansman)
• Richard E. Grant (Can You Ever Forgive Me?)
• Sam Rockwell (Vice)

This is without question, in my opinion, one of the toughest categories of the night. Any of these individuals are deserving in my opinion. However, based on previous wins, this looks to be a fight between Mahershala Ali and Richard E. Grant. My prediction is Ali will squeak this one out.

Best Director

• Bradley Cooper (A Star is Born)
• Alfonso Cuaron (Roma)
• Peter Farrelly (Green Book)
• Spike Lee (BlacKkKlansman)
• Adam McKay (Vice)

Have to go with Cuaron on this one. I understand the arguments for Bradley Cooper, with this being his first directorial role and his doing it so well and of course, Spike Lee has been delivering excellence for almost two decades. Still, the love and praise for Roma make it hard to imagine voters giving this to anyone else.

 

TELEVISION

Best Television Series – Drama

• The Americans
• Bodyguard
• Homecoming
• Killing Eve
• Pose

The HFPA has a thing for awarding freshman shows or small, little-known shows. And for that, I think this will be a win for either Homecoming or Bodyguard. Would be pretty ballsy and historic if Pose pulled off the big upset.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Drama

• Caitriona Balfe (Outlander)
• Elisabeth Moss (The Handmaid’s Tale)
• Sandra Oh (Killing Eve)
• Julia Roberts (Homecoming)
• Keri Russell (The Americans)

It would be nice to see Sandra Oh pull off this win and she’s certainly a strong favorite. Unfortunately, she faces stiff competition in the name of Julia Roberts. Roberts’ role in Homecoming is a perfect mix of the kind of performances HFPA voters love to celebrate. She’s a big Hollywood name in a little-watched, highly acclaimed show.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Drama

• Jason Bateman (Ozark)
• Stephan James (Homecoming)
• Richard Madden (Bodyguard)
• Billy Porter (Pose)
• Matthew Rhys (The Americans)

So yeah, going back to that thing about the HFPA voters loving to reward freshman shows that seem to come out of nowhere, I’m going to predict Richard Madden to take this one.

Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy

• Barry
• The Good Place
• Kidding
• The Kominsky Method
• The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

Clearly, HFPA voters are still feeling the love for The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. But the Globes rarely award the same show, back to back. So with that in mind, I’m going to say this may be between The Kominsky Method (it’s quirky and niche enough to appeal to voters) and The Good Place, a show that has been one of the most underrated comedies on television for the last three years.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy

• Kristen Bell (The Good Place)
• Candice Bergen (Murphy Brown)
• Alison Brie (Glow)
• Rachel Brosnahan (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel)
• Debra Messing (Will & Grace)

Past HFPA voter behavior would suggest Brosnahan will not repeat her win from last year. That said, the Globes did award Sarah Jessica Parker three wins in a row in this very category, for her role as Carrie Bradshaw in Sex & The City. So it’s not impossible for Brosnahan to pull a back to back win. However, a little voice in my head says Kristen Bell is taking this one.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy

• Sacha Baron Cohen (Who Is America?)
• Jim Carrey (Kidding)
• Michael Douglas (The Kominsky Method)
• Donald Glover (Atlanta)
• Bill Hader (Barry)

Another interesting category with many very deserving winners. Many of the experts seem to think this is Douglas’ to lose. But I’m going to go against the grain here and say that Jim Carrey’s hilariously sad and sometimes hard to watch, performance in Kidding will edge out Douglas.

Best Television Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

• The Alienist
• The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story
• Escape at Dannemora
• Sharp Objects
• A Very English Scandal

I loved The Alienist, as well as The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story. And HFPA voters clearly love Ryan Murphy’s brand of cinematic crazy. That said, I’m going to make a really bold prediction here and say Sharp Objects is going to win this category.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

• Amy Adams (Sharp Objects)
• Patricia Arquette (Escape at Dannemora)
• Connie Britton (Dirty John)
• Laura Dern (The Tale)
• Regina King (Seven Seconds)

Hard to see anyone but Amy Adams winning in this category. Certainly, all the actresses nominated are brilliant in their own right (and Regina King will likely be leaving with some hardware herself) but Adams’ performance in Sharp Objects was truly one of the best of the year.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

• Antonio Banderas (Genius: Picasso)
• Daniel Bruhl (The Alienist)
• Darren Criss (The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story)
• Benedict Cumberbatch (Patrick Melrose)
• Hugh Grant (A Very English Scandal)

I would be thrilled to see Darren Criss win this category. One, because I thought he did an amazing job in American Crime Story and two, I’m petty enough to still enjoy all the Glee fans who hated him for ridiculous reasons and said he would do nothing after Glee, foaming at the mouth at his current success. That said, Hugh Grant’s performance in A Very English Scandal is just the kind of performance the HFPA voters absolutely love. So I can definitely see an “upset” here by Grant.

10 Biggest Pop Culture Stories of 2018

In working on this article, I thought about all that happened in the world of pop culture this past year and my general opinions and feelings regarding it. I came to the conclusion that in many ways I found this year to be average.

There were very few amazing musical moments/albums, the movies were mostly good but nothing that wowed and left me completely spellbound. Even the big entertainment events, such as award shows, the MET Gala and the like, were kind of lackluster.

Don’t get me wrong, there were some highlights, which obviously I mention below but in general, it was a mostly so-so year. Obviously, I couldn’t include everything (honorable mention to the passing of the Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin and that Home Going Service that seemingly lasted forever) and this is not meant to be a definitive statement on the pop culture events of the year. This is more a statement on the pop culture moments/events that resonated and/or lingered with me, for better or worse.

Royal Wedding – Just so we’re clear since there were two this year, I am of course referring to the wedding of Prince Henry of Wales and Meghan Markle. And listen, I can certainly discuss how antiquated the entire concept of royalty is in 2018. But let’s be honest, how many of us still love a big, fancy wedding? And if the viewing numbers are any indication, whatever the feelings about the idea of royalty in this day and age, plenty are still fascinated by the pomp and circumstance of it all. Not to mention that unlike the wedding of his older brother in 2011, Prince Harry’s wedding to Meghan Markle had all the makings of something right out of a Hollywood movie script – right down to the bride having been an actress. She’s biracial, American, divorced and the wedding week had enough shenanigans to send anyone into a spiral, due to her erratic father. But like any good Hollywood script – there was a happy ending as the world watched, on a beautiful, cloudless summer day, a beautifully composed and confident Markle walk herself most of the way down the aisle to her waiting groom. Less than six months later, the Palace announced the couple was expecting their first child. Ah, don’t you just love, love?

 

Wakanda Forever – Unless you spent 2018 under a rock, you know how culturally significant the success of Black Panther was. More than simply another superhero action film, Black Panther represented both a cultural and personal movement for many African Americans. This should not have been surprising considering the history behind the creation of the fictional character. And there had certainly been a considerable buzz for years as the film slowly went through the developmental process. Still, a lot was riding on the success of a predominantly black-led superhero action film. And it more than delivered. At last count, the film boasts a global gross of 1.3 billion, making it the highest grossing film in the U.S. for the year. Even the movie soundtrack, largely produced and spearheaded by Kendrick Lamar, struck gold, garnering eight Grammy nominations, including Album of the Year.

 

Quickie Celebrity Engagements/Weddings – Was there something in the water this year? Did it seem like there was a surprisingly high number of quickie engagements and marriages? It started with Ariana Grande and Pete Davidson’s “out of nowhere” engagement after merely dating for a few weeks. Spoiler alert, it didn’t last. That was quickly followed a few weeks later by Justin Bieber and Hailey Baldwin’s engagement, which has subsequently become a marriage. If you were confused by this, it’s understandable as at the start of the year, Justin was having Round 1000 with Selena Gomez before breakup 1000 occurred. These two engagements had nothing on Nick Jonas and Priyanka Chopra’s subsequent engagement though, followed by their lavish and seemingly never-ending wedding. I can’t be the only one who didn’t even know these two were a thing before they were suddenly engaged and now married. I try not to be mean so I’ll just say I wish the two married couples all the best. But let’s just also say that if my 2019 year-end list includes splits with one of those two, I wouldn’t be surprised.

 

A Star is (Re) Born – We all knew how multi-talented Lady Gaga is. That she is an incredible singer, songwriter, and musician. This year, she proved that actress can now solidly be added to her array of talents. I guess in some ways Gaga’s acting abilities shouldn’t be such a surprise considering one, she attended a highly prestigious performing arts school where she was likely trained in many different art-forms but more importantly, much of Gaga’s music career has been a performance. From the outlandish costumes, characters she creates in her songs, etc. She’s really been putting on an amazing acting performance since she broke out on the mainstream music scene in 2008.

 

The Year of Cardi B – Whether you like her or not. Whether you think she’s a flash in the pan or here to stay, one cannot deny that musically, 2018 was the Year of Cardi B. Following up on the surprising smash success of her 2017 hit, Bodak Yellow, the former reality show star released her first full length studio album, Invasion of Privacy, to critical acclaim. Whether it was confirming her long speculated pregnancy on SNL, securing her second Billboard Number 1 with Maroon 5, beefing with Nicki Minaj on Instagram, and of course hurling a shoe at her at an industry event, publicly playing out her relationship drama with estranged husband Offset, one thing was certain, you could not escape Cardi B. in 2018, whether you wanted to or not.

 

Beychella – It was supposed to happen in 2017 but due to her pregnancy, Beyonce had to put off being the first African American female to headline Coachella for a year. It was worth the wait. Sure much of the choreography and song arrangements weren’t exactly new but that hardly seemed to matter the second Queen Bey strutted confidently and emphatically onto the stage. As usual, the Coachella crowd was almost anemic in their response and seemed wholly undeserving of the great performances they were being given but it didn’t matter because a global audience was watching thanks to live streaming. And they certainly appreciated every single moment.

 

Netflix Revives the Teen Rom-Com – 2018 saw Netflix giving many of us something we may not have even realized we so desperately were missing – the good old fashioned teen rom-com. Shining the brightest amongst the rest was, of course, the adaptation of the popular book series, To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before. Talk about striking gold. Lead actress Lana Candor and Noah Centineo brought movie magic that hasn’t been seen in a teen rom-com since maybe the early 2000’s with She’s All That and 10 Things I Hate About You and the like. Centineo quickly became an overnight sensation, seeing his Instagram followers increase from 700,000 to over 16 million. And a sequel has already been greenlit. It wasn’t all perfect of course – there was the “we’d all like to forget this happened” disaster that was Sierra Burgess Is A Loser and while The Kissing Booth was a huge hit for the streaming service, the film was problematic and awful in so many ways. Thankfully, the year ended on a high note with the adorably unproblematic and perfect Dumplin’. Long live the teen rom-com.

 

Crazy Rich Asians – Black Panther wasn’t the only inspiring movie box office success this year. The romantic comedy Crazy Rich Asians was a roaring success, proving the financial prowess of a predominantly Asian led film. The film also introduced the pop culture world to rising star Awkwafina, whose hilarious scene-stealing performance, made her one of the highlights of the film.

 

Colin Kaepernick Nike Campaign/This is America – Undoubtedly, these were two of the most significant pop culture viral moments of the year. It began in May with the release of Childish Gambino’s (aka Donald Glover) powerfully disturbing and searing video for the song This Is America. A brutally, sometimes uncomfortable spotlight on the many racial and social injustices existing in the U.S., Gambino gained his first Billboard Number 1 on the strength of said video. Then in September, NIKE revealed its powerful ad campaign, featuring former NFL player Colin Kaepernick. Since his decision to not stand for the national anthem as a form of protest against social injustices of police brutality and racial inequality, Kaepernick has not been signed by any NFL team and not played professionally for the last two years. The tagline “Believe in something, even if it means sacrificing everything”, became a rallying cry for many others in their own individual struggle. Many other athletes and celebrities supported the campaign, creating their own #BelieveInSomething moments.

 

Queen Rocks Us Again – The signs were all there. This was going to be a complete disaster. Plagued by years of development issues, including apparent discord between original lead Sacha Baron Cohen and the surviving members of the band, Brian May and Roger Taylor, which eventually led to Cohen’s exit. And then there was the Brian Singer saga which included missed days of shooting, some type of argument/verbal altercation with lead actor Rami Malek and eventually Singer being fired by the studio, while filming was still going on. And then came the early reviews after the film premiered at the Venice International Film Festival. They weren’t awful but they certainly weren’t great. This was going to be a complete fail, is what most people thought. They were wrong. In another of many examples where critics don’t always reflect what the public and general movie-going audience think, the response to Bohemian Rhapsody was overwhelmingly positive, with young and old flocking to the film either to relive their younger days or discover the magic of this legendary band. At last count, the film has surpassed $600 million globally and grossed almost $200 million in the U.S. alone, making it the highest grossing musical biopic of all time. And then there was Rami Malek’s career-changing performance as Freddie Mercury. Anyone who has read this blog knows how much I’ve been a die-hard fan of Rami’s since discovering him on Mr. Robot. So it’s true that I was rooting for him with this one. But he surpassed even my expectations and delivered a beautifully nuanced and gorgeous portrait of one of the most enigmatic and charismatic frontmen in music history.

N.B. – All images courtesy GettyImages or Google Images 

2016 Golden Globes Award

My very first post of this blog was a recap of the 2015 Golden Globes Awards. So how fitting that my very first post of the New Year is a recap of this year’s ceremony. I have already expressed my love for this show, which is often deemed one of Hollywood’s biggest parties. The mixing and mingling of movie and television stars, not to mention all the free alcohol, makes for one fun night that sees its fair share of the funny, heartfelt and awkward as hell. And this year’s ceremony was certainly no different. The following are some of my highlights from last night’s ceremony.

He’s Back – The beer was chilled and waiting and just like that, Ricky Gervais was back as host. And if you thought time away might have tamed him a little, you were sorely mistaken. I think it might have made him even more brutal and cutting. He was as biting, snarky and unrelenting as ever. Not to mention hysterically funny. If there was one criticism to be had about his opening monologue, is that it was way too short.

Congratulations Freshman Class of 2016 – It wouldn’t be the Golden Globes if there weren’t a lot of fresh faces and this year was no different. As is often the case, wins in the television categories were dominated by new shows and this year it was all about USA’s brilliant Mr. Robot and Amazon’s Mozart In The Jungle. The latter won Best Comedy Series, as well as a Best Actor in a Comedy Series for its lead Gael Garcia Bernal. Mr. Robot saw wins for Best Drama and Best Supporting Actor for veteran Hollywood actor Christian Slater. And following in the footsteps of last year’s golden girl Gina Rodriguez, another CW break-out star walked away with the Best Actress in a Comedy Series, with Rachel Bloom winning for Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. On the movie front, the name Brie Larson was probably not instantly recognizable to many at the start of this Awards season but something tells me it will be by the end, as she is looking more and more like the heavy favorite to win the Academy Award this year for Best Actress for her spellbinding performance in Room.

Speeches (The Good, The Bad and Awkward) – This year’s ceremony, much like most Award ceremonies definitely saw its share of awkward and bad speeches.

• Good – There were many speeches that were short, simple, sweet and heartfelt but two of the ones that most stood out was Sylvester Stallone’s after winning his first Golden Globe ever, for Creed and Leonardo Dicaprio, after winning for The Revenant. Sly’s winning moment was special right from the start, with the entire room giving him a rousing and heartfelt standing ovation. You could see what the reaction and the moment meant to him. And he could not have summed it up any better, than with a thank you to the greatest imaginary friend he ever had…Rocky Balboa. While I do wish he’d thanked more of the team on Creed, I understand that he was overwhelmed and it was just an oversight. This was certainly not Leo’s first Golden Globe win by any means, but it was still wonderful to see the reaction and further get that sense of how much the industry respects him. Barring some crazy, unexpected circumstance, I cannot see Leo not winning the Oscar this year and it will be well OVERDUE in my opinion.  As for his speech, as usual it was articulate, well thought out, intelligent and heartfelt.
• Bad – For me this was undoubtedly Quentin Tarantino and Taraji P. Henson. Let’s start with Tarantino who first of all, didn’t actually win an award. He simply went up to accept the Best Original Score award for winner Ennio Morricone, who won for composing the score for the Tarantino directed film The Hateful Eight. But for some reason, Tarantino seemed to believe that directing the film qualified him to make a whole speech on Morricone’s behalf. And it wouldn’t have been so bad if the speech didn’t turn out to be such a disaster. First, he incorrectly stated that Morricone has never won an award for any movie he’s done, which um no…he’s won two Golden Globes for prior movie scores. And then Tarantino pissed of black Twitter with his comment about Morricone not being just his favorite movie composer because that’s ghetto. Yeah…let’s just say it was a blessing when he stopped talking and got off the stage. And then there was Taraji P. Henson. I guess at this point you kind of know what you’re going to get with Taraji, for better or for worse, and well that’s what we got. But sometimes a little of something goes a long way and a little of Taraji is definitely all we need. The crack about the producers trying to play her off was a little funny but it was all so loud and aggressive and just too much.
• Awkward – I don’t begrudge Rachel Bloom her excitement and joy at winning her first Golden Globe but WOW was she awkward on that stage. From practically screaming her entire speech, then the over the top gestures to her boobs looking like they were very close to popping out of that green dress…the whole thing was really just one giant awkward mess. But perhaps the night’s most awkward speech was Denzel Washington’s for his Cecil B. DeMille honor. And that’s really unfortunate because Denzel has had a stellar career and the honor was more than deserved. But despite knowing ahead of time that he was going to be honored as all the honorees do every year, Denzel came across as completely and wholly unprepared for the moment. He made some quip about forgetting his glasses and I guess that being the reason for his speech being kind of a mess but that’s a pretty lame excuse. And again, that saddens me because Denzel has a career and is an actor worthy of an exceptional tribute, including an amazing speech.

Didn’t See That Coming – Even with the Globes’ reputation for awarding fresh faces and newcomers, there are still some wins that can leave the viewers and critics a little thrown.  Last night’s ceremony had quite a bit of that. At the start of the night, I was something like 0-3 in my predictions, which almost never happens with this show. One of the night’s biggest surprise was the HFPA’s obvious love for Steve Jobs, a movie that all but died at the box office, starting with Kate Winslet’s surprise win for Best Supporting Actress. I mean it is Kate Winslet, who let’s face it, is brilliant in everything she does. Still, she was by no means the favorite in this category and judging by her reaction, she obviously felt that way as well. And then there was Aaron Sorkin’s win for Best Screenplay, also for Steve Jobs and he too could not have looked more surprised. I think some might add Lady Gaga’s win for Best Actress in a Limited Series in this category but to be honest, I felt that was expected. That’s just the kind of gimmicky win the Globes love (no offense Gaga). All that said, perhaps the night’s biggest surprise was without a doubt The Revenant’s win for Best Drama over the highly acclaimed front-runner Spotlight. With that win, it has some wondering if Alejandro Inarritu and his team are going to pull off a two-peat Best Picture win at the Oscars, as they won last year for Birdman. It’s certainly now made the Best Picture race suddenly a lot more interesting. On a personal level, my biggest disappointment and surprise, was Rami Malek’s not winning Best Actor in a Drama for Mr. Robot. While I have nothing against Jon Hamm and I’m sure he was a deserving winner and it was his last chance to win for his role as Don Draper on Mad Men, it was hard to see Mr. Robot get so much love from the HFPA and Rami not win, when he basically carries the entire show. He is the most compelling thing about it. So that definitely sucked.

Fashion Police – And with that, we come to the fashion, because what is an award show without it. Once again, there was no true wow and stellar fashion moment for me but there were some pretty good ones. And of course there was the always, “WTH were you thinking and fire your stylist immediately.”

Best Dressed 

Lady Gaga in Atelier Versace

I wasn’t in love with the hair (looked a little old and washed out) but this dress was absolutely stunning. It was old-school Hollywood bombshell. Very Marilyn Monroe.

Jenna Dewan Tatum in Zuhair Murad

Honestly, I’m not personally a fan of big, dramatic ball gowns but I really loved the look of this dress and I think Jenna carried it off beautifully.

Laverne Cox in Elizabeth Kennedy

Stunning silhouette and she wore this gorgeously. The hair and makeup were also on point. White is not an easy to color to wear and Laverne pulled it off beautifully.

Emmy Rossum in Armani Prive

Not really a fan of the necklace but I think her body looks amazing in the dress and the color is stunning on her.

Brie Larson in Calvin Klein 

I’m not a big fan of the shiny, pageanty dress type look but if you are going to do it, this is the way to do it. Her body looked amazing in and the makeup and jewelry was perfectly understated.

Worst Dressed

This was a close one. There were many who were more than worthy of the honor (looking at you Kate Hudson) but at the end of the day, one stood out boldly amongst them all. Drum roll please… And this year’s Golden Globes worst dressed (according to me of course) is…

Regina King in Krikor Jabotian 

Oh where to begin…shall we talk about the cheap K-Mart looking shoes, the weird gold fish-scaly looking material of the dress or the random WTF white cape in the back? Like I don’t even have the words to accurately sum up this atrocity. I don’t think there are words that have yet been invented to explain this atrocity.

2015 Pop Culture Year-End Review

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Per the usual, it was certainly a dramatic year in pop culture and entertainment. From the amazing, to the tragic to the WTF…this year had it all. It would take forever to list all the things that wowed, amused, annoyed or just plain baffled me. And so, in the spirit of being more positive in 2016 (yeah, we’ll see how long that lasts…), I decided to focus on the 10 moments/events, etc. in entertainment, I loved the most this year.

Adele 25 – We had to wait almost four years, but it was well worth the wait. After taking some time away from the spotlight in the wake of her astonishing success with the album 21, Adele returned this year, picking up right where she left off by delivering an album of heartbreaking, soaring ballads and gut wrenching honest emotion. I have certainly made no secret of my Adele-love, so this one should come as no surprise. And just to be clear, this is not about jumping on a bandwagon. I have been a fan of Adele’s ever since I randomly stumbled on the video for her song Chasing Pavements and that love was cemented when I heard Hometown Glory and saw her perform To Feel My Love live. And I will continue to be a fan as long as she delivers such tender and heartfelt honesty in her music.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part II – I know the reviews were mixed and many fans (especially non-book readers) were not too happy with this film. However, as a fan of the book series, I thought the film was a fitting end to the franchise. Could some things have been better, of course; which is often the case with any film adaptation. However, as she has done since the first film, I thought Jennifer Lawrence was perfect in her portrayal of Katniss. She was helped by a strong and impressive supporting cast. As always, Liam Hemsworth remained uneventful but at least he wasn’t “ruin the movie” awful. He was more or less just bland and uninteresting.  Donald Sutherland’s portrayal of President Snow remained absolute perfection, as was Elizabeth Banks who made Effie such a scene stealing character that they kept her around longer in the movies than she actually was in the books. And of course, Woody Harrelson and Josh Hutcherson, who while the writing may not have always been there for the latter, did great with what he was given. So a great franchise that I’m sure I’ll get the box set when it’s released.

The Affair: Season 2 – Like The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, this was a little divisive. A lot of the critics have been less than thrilled with the direction the season took and to be honest, I’m not sure I am completely in love with the season finale, especially the reveal of how Scotty Lockhart really died. But that said, looking back on the season as a whole, there was a lot I did love and enjoyed about it and I found it as compelling, if not more so, than the first season. I will note that it probably helped that I have never really cared for the show’s lead characters, Alison and Noah, especially the latter. Therefore they weren’t really ruined for me this season, which is a problem many had with the season, because I already thought they were plenty awful in the first place. In my opinion, Noah continued being a selfish, self-centered jerk and Alison a whiny bore who did very well at playing the victim even when she wasn’t. The whole season felt for me like the ending of Descent (Noah’s fictional bestseller he wrote based on his affair with Alison), coming to fruition. That is, the man realizing that this woman he blew up his family and life for wasn’t who he thought she was and wasn’t worth it and in the end, in a fit of anger and bitterness, he kills her. I don’t think the killing Alison part will happen but I have a feeling the show will end on Noah’s original ending for the book – that is, the couple sitting down quietly to dinner with this big secret between them. Basically in my opinion, I see The Affair as a tragedy. It isn’t a love story but a Shakespearean or Greek tragedy of how one decision, one choice, can tragically change the course of so many lives. And that is what made the season so compelling.

Survivor: Season 31 – Survivor had a milestone season this year – the show about outwitting, outplaying and outlasting, turned 30. Unfortunately, the landmark season turned out to be VERY dull and uninspiring. The only semi-interesting aspect to the whole season was watching Mike immunity win his way to the final tribal council and ultimately the win. Especially as this REALLY annoyed and stuck in Dan’s craw. But aside from that, it was a season of jerks, little strategic play and uninspiring tribal councils. Not so for Season 31 which, for the first time in the show’s history, saw of cast of players who had played once before, voted to play again by the viewers of the show. Many of the cast members viewed the second chance as a huge gift, particularly because the fans voted them in and were determined to make the most of it. Season 31 turned out be one of the most unpredictable and exciting seasons in years – blindside after blindside, awesome immunity idol plays, you never knew who was really aligned with whom, etc. In the end, nice guy Jeremy who was completely blindsided by his alliance in his original season, took home the million in a complete sweep. I will admit that much as I liked Jeremy and was happy for his win, I was sad for Spencer who I really came to like in his original season. It wasn’t just that he lost, but that he lost because he completely missed Jeremy’s obviously being a huge threat, the jury eviscerated him and his character and he just looked so sad and disappointed at the reunion show. Still, a great season that hopefully Season 32 can live up to.

Jon Stewart’s Final Daily Show Season – After 16 years at the helm, Jon Stewart signed off from The Daily Show this year in perfect fashion. He remained consistently funny and insightful, with brilliant biting wit and sarcasm. I shared my feelings on what the show and Jon Stewart meant to me personally after his last episode and while Trevor Noah has acquitted himself well enough as Stewart’s replacement, the sting of the loss is still being felt and likely will for a little while longer. But after almost two decades, I understood Jon’s desire to leave and move on to something else. After all, as the old adage goes, “best to leave before they kick you out.”

Katy Perry’s Superbowl Half-Time Show – I am not the biggest fan of Katy Perry’s. In fact, there are really only a handful of her songs that I truly love. That said, while this was certainly not my favorite halftime show of all time (that honor still belongs to Prince), I think she did a pretty damn good job. The inclusion of Lenny Kravitz and Missy Elliot, who probably both seemed random when first announced, was a stroke of genius; particularly Missy’s appearance which helped rejuvenate the hip hop star’s career and remind so many of just how awesome she is. You can check out my original review of the performance here.

Mr. Robot: Episode 6 – If you aren’t watching USA’s Mr. Robot, you need to. The show is a dark, twisted, complex and mind-bending ball of crazy that makes you feel like you’re on a never-ending acid trip. And it is freaking fantastic. At the core of the show’s success is the brilliantly understated performance by the enigmatic Rami Malek, who plays lead character Eliot Alderson. If you’ve read my most recent blog post, you probably know how thrilled I am at all the award show love he and the show have gotten. While the entire season is amazing, if I would suggest one episode that encapsulates the dark and disturbing brilliance of the show perfectly, and where Malek just absolutely shines from beginning to end, it would be Episode 6. Racing against the clock to help a very dangerous criminal, whose associates are holding his neighbor and sometimes love interest hostage, escape from prison, Malek expertly delivers a range of emotion, from fear, panic and gut-wrenching sadness with a quiet subtlety and grace that’s just mesmerizing to watch.

Bates Motel: Season 3 – If you have ever watched the classic horror film Psycho or at the least heard about the plot, you probably already know how completely bat-shit crazy Norman Bates is. Bates Motel, the criminally under-appreciated A&E drama is a prequel that tells the story of who Norman Bates was before he became completely bat-shit crazy and murdered Marion Crane, while dressed as his dead mother. In other words, we’re already spoiled as to where the show is going and essentially have just been waiting for that big moment. The moment where Norman and Mother truly start to become one. Season 3 of the show, which aired earlier this year, finally delivered that moment. Played to absolute perfection by Freddie Highmore (seriously, that he has never even been nominated for this role is beyond absurd), the season saw the continued inevitable decline of Norman’s mental state as he fell deeper and deeper into his psychosis. It all culminated in the brutal murder of the emotionally lost Bradley by the hands of Norman as “Mother.” It was one of the most disturbing, horrific and spellbinding scenes I saw on television this year.

Kendrick Lamar’s Alright – Kendrick Lamar escaped the dreaded sophomore slump in absolutely brilliant fashion. Coming on the heels of his critically acclaimed good kid, m.A.A.d city, Lamar delivered one of, if not the best album of the year, To Pimp A Butterfly. Picking up where he left off on good kid, m.A.A.d city, the album is chock full of powerful messages and truths about the plight of the young African American male, inner city youth, white supremacy, the struggle to find and identify oneself, etc. And while many songs are powerful on their own, probably the stand out moment comes from the song Alright, which became a rallying cry for the #blacklivesmatter movement. It would be naïve to not see and understand why this song is currently as important and powerful as it is, with all that’s going around the U.S., particularly in regards to police brutality against African Americans. Certainly a powerful song in general but the added weight of the current socio-political climate makes it one of the most important songs in decades and a rallying cry for so many.

Top 5 Fashion Moments – If you’ve been reading my blog often or even occasionally, you know I’m always here for fashion and some great fashion moments. So I would be remiss to not include some type of fashion list in my review of my favorite pop culture moments of the year. And here they are:

Rihanna – Met Ball Gala

It was the dress that spawned hundreds of memes and sure, we can go on for days with the jokes about her looking like a human omelet. But as I noted in my recap about this year’s Gala, it is a costume ball for crying out loud. It is probably the one time celebrities should embrace the bold and daring and take crazy risks and just have fun. And I feel like Rihanna totally got that.

Diane Kruger – Venice International Film Festival

Some did not love the big bow on the side but I have to say, from the moment I saw this look, I fell in love with it. There is something just so timeless and classic yet bold about it.

Cate Blanchett – Cannes Film Festival 

This look just screams movie star and red carpet. I loved the bold print, the drama and simultaneously, the whimsical and softness of it. This is a movie star’s dress and Cate Blanchett who carries herself in such a regal and classic manner, was the perfect one to carry it off.

Lupita Nyong’o – Cannes Film Festival

After an amazing debut season on the red carpet on her way to winning her first Academy Award, things seemed to go VERY wrong with Lupita on the fashion front. I really started to believe her previous red carpet moments had merely been a stroke of luck. So thank goodness for this gorgeous green Grecian moment. Not only was the dress stunning but it matched her skin tone beautifully and she wore it very well.

Lady Gaga – The Primetime Emmy Awards 

 

There really isn’t anything that amazing about this dress. It’s your typical classic black evening dress. What made it such a memorable red carpet moment was who was wearing it. It was truly a jaw dropping moment when the woman who’d once worn a meat dress, showed up at the Emmys looking a classic old-Hollywood star. And she wore it so well.